Deskjet F4500 Printer cannot communicate wirelessly after Mac 10.8 update

[tomasrs]

Installed Mountain Lion update

Printer cannot communicate wirelessly (blue light blinks)

Uninstalled HP Software 

Reinstalled software using usb cable, otherwise printer not recognized.

Software successfully installed

Ran software update

New HP Software installed 2.9

Printer still connected with usb cable and is recognized in Printer preferences as idle

Box checked to configure device for wireless network

Directed to use usb cable to configure (it already is)

clicked continue

Hp Installer determines that computer is connected to a wireless network

correct net name indicated

wep password entered

looking for network

Get the following message:

Device not connected

To configure the network settings of the selected device, please connect it temporarily via usb. The device can be disconnected from the usb once the network setting are transferred

click okay, but cannot continue because printer is already connected by usb.

Ran wireless net test by pressing scan button

No filtering FAILS

I can print using USB cable

Any help?

[PrintDoc]

What router?  Restart the router just before the installation process by pulling its power cord momentarily.

Remove the USB cable from the printer.

Go to Applications > HP > [your printer model] > Printer Setup and Software.  Run it and choose Wireless as the installation type.  Yes, it will eventually ask you to insert a USB cable (tempoarily) to communicate network settings to the printer.  Do not connect the USB cable before it asks.

If this does not work, I recommend not using WEP as an encryption scheme.  It is not at all secure and can lead to these kinds of communication errors.

[tomasrs]

Okay, here is the problem: I uninstalled the software. I disconnected the router and waited one minute. I powered up the router again. I have internet connection and my wifi network functions (iPad, iPod  and Apple TV can communicate with my computer via wifi) I put new ink into the printer. I power up the printer (it is turned on) I had to connect the usb cable to align the printer heads. Blue light blinks. I disconnected the usb cable. Blue light blinks. I attempt to reinstall software without usb cable. However, the HP installer asks me to select my device. Of course it cannot find it without the usb cable connected. I click "more info" and get the following message:

If your device does not appear in the list, try the following:

• Make sure your device is plugged in and powered on.

• For USB connected devices, unplug and then re-connect the USB cable to the computer. Ensure that the cable is correctly connected to both the device and your computer.

• For devices using a wired network connection, make sure the device is connected to a working network access point with an Ethernet cable.

• If multiple devices appear in the list, you can use the search box to help you locate your device.

• If your device is located outside your local network (i.e. subnet), you can click the action menu button to  manually add your device using its IP address.

IMPORTANT: Many wireless network-capable HP devices must be configured using a USB connection. If you wish to set up a wireless network connection, check your device documentation and, if necessary, connect your device to this computer with a USB cable now.

I do not connect usb since the last time I did this my Mac asked me to connect the usb cable , but the cable was already connected and that is where I ran into the dead end problem. I could not proceed.

Printer remains turned on.

So, I click "continue" in the dialogue box to install device software and to perform device setup later. I have three choices of how printer is connected to computer: usb, wireless network or wireless network configured by usb. I select "wireless". Software installation begins and is concluded successfully.

 The installer now asks me to setup and to select my device. It is not listed. I check the "my device is not listed" box. I click "continue". Next frame has my device listed. I click on "Deskjet F4500 series". Next frame asks how my device is connected to my computer, I select "wireless network". Next frame asks me to select my device. It is not listed. I click "it is not listed" box. Installer says to quit.  I click more info and get the following message:

"Select your device from the list. If it is not listed make sure it is powered and properly connected. If your device is wireless (it is) make sure the wireless receivers on your device and computer are turned on. (they are). Blue light blinks. I click "quit". I go to the applications folder and to "Device Utilities" in the HP folder. I click "setup assistant".

It directs me to "configure wireless device using the usb cable". I connect the usb cable and click "continue". Device is listed as "Deskjet F4500 series  USB  CN078C362C05H5".  I am directed to click "continue to configure the device". The next frame says that the printer is compatible with wireless networks and to click the box "configure your device for a wireless network".It advises me to connect the device to a usb cable. It is already connect to the usb cable as explained above. I click the box and continue. The next frame has my wireless network name the "communications Mode" as "Accesspoint" and "encryption type" as WEP. It asks for my password and I input password that successfully connects all my other devices as indicated earlier.

It searches for my device looking for my network name. I get the following message:

To configure the network settings of the selected device, please connect it temporarily via USB. The device can be disconnected from the USB once the network settings are transferred.

I click "okay". NOW HERE IS THE RUB ... my printer is already connected to the computer with the usb cable.

I am now right where I started from with the same problem. I cannot continue past this anomaly.

I go back and complete "set up" with the usb connection and the "configure wireless" box unchecked.

The set up completes.

I do hope you can figure this out. I can print with the usb cable connected. The printer successfully communicated wirelessly before the Mountain Lion update. I had no problems at all.

[PrintDoc]

Again, what router?

By the way, you want to choose the option "wireless network configured by usb", thus my instructions above about using the USB cable temporarily to configure your network settings.

[tomasrs]

Motorola SUREboard router. I did go back and clicked "wireless network configured by usb" several times. I have tried almost every method availble just to see if it would work. as you can see from my detailed missive, I am very precise about what I do. Thanks for your attention. Gosh, I feel stuck. I have been using computers and printers since 1984!

[PrintDoc]

OK, does the router have a WPS button or in some way support WPS?  We can connect that way.

Also, I highly recommend you change the (worthless) WEP password to WPA in your router settings before you try anything again.

[Nerak09]

I'm having a similar problem after Mountain Lion 10.8 upgrade. No longer able to scan using wireless  (had to use cable to connect plus use Preview to scan. Would prefer to have the HP scan utiltity but that is now gone).

In addition I did get the printer to print using the wireless network yesterday but today I had to re-enter the WPA passphrase.

I have a Belkin router using AT&T so that passphrase is 10 digits, can't be changed by me, and that requires a whole lot of button pushes to enter. The printer has forgotten the passphrase from yesterday so I re-entered it and it worked this time, but the printer is now "offline" again.

How do I avoid having to re-enter the passphrase every time I want to print?

I uninstalled the printer as instructed after the upgrade, downloaded from the apple support the required updated drivers, installed. But cannot scan wirelessly and printer seems to lose the network.

Also, I've just moved so I cannot locate the original software CD... it is here somewhere but temporarily missing (since the printer worked perfectly before the Mountain Lion upgrade the disc is packed somewhere).

[PrintDoc]

When it is indicated that the printer is offline - is it?  Check the front of the printer in the wireless menu to tell (print a wireless network test).

If it is still connected to the Belkin, I suspect the Belkin does not support Bonjour (mDNS) properly so your Mac cannot find the printer.

Also, you do not want to use the CD, anyway.  It is outdated and will not support 10.8.  Download and install the latest software for your printer from the "Support & Drivers" link at the top of this page.

Try this sequence:

Download and install this: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL907

Restart your Mac.

Reset the printing system:

- Go to System Preferences > Print & Scan
- Right (or control) click in the rectangle listing your printers and select Reset Printing System.
WARNING - this will delete ALL of your printers!
- Select the plus sign to re-add a printer. Select the Defualt tab on the top of the window. Look for the printer, select it and wait until the "Add" button becomes available. Click it.

[Nerak09]

This has not solved the problem.

First, how do you print a wireless network test page? I've gotten two of those printed out when I mistype the WPA pass phrase, but I cannot get the printer to just print one of these to let me know if it is really offline. And although I hunted around in the HP site I couldn't find directions on how to make the HP4500 print a wireless network test page.

And these instructions and the HP download actually made things worse for a while (the printer was only showing up as a fax machine.) I had to delete / re-add twice before it appeared as an all-in-one printer.

Although the HP45000-G510n-z now appears in the Print choice when you try to print something, it doesn't actually PRINT anything -- unless I walk over and hit the buttons. I had to re-enter the WPA pass phrase again.  Since ATT set it as 10 digits, that means i have to push the buttons 60 times (to scroll thru all the letters and then get to digits).

Obviously the printer's manual is lost somewhere in the house due to the move!

So: how do I print a wireless network test, and how do I get the printer to go to digits before letters?

thanks

[Nerak09]

Addition: scanning NO LONGER WORKS at all. not even with a cable.

All I get when I try to do anything is "the printer is not connected" and "the printer is offline" in the printer activity box that you can see when you click on the printer in the dock, which now always has a red exclamation point on it.